Then, there was this raven, watching, sitting lonely.

Itachi carried out his promise.

The time when he got reunited with his mother, a boulder was tossed into the air by Nine Tails, it shattered near their house, and the pieces danced above their heads. One chunk was falling toward his mother's.

Quickly, Itachi leaped high, responding and moving towards the chunk. He had been training, a lot that he could knead his chakra properly.

The rock slammed into Itachi's fist, and exploded with a shriek. Showered in a rain of pebbles, he landed soundlessly on the ground.

To be strong and be able to protect—that was his promise.

With his little brother on his mother's arms, they both escaped from the raging assault of the Kyūbi.

Immediately, almost instinctively, there was a great mass of them—the residents of Konohagakure. So many, thousands might even, rushing into the street like floodwaters, wanting to reach the evacuation shelters.

A dull pain raced deep into his eyes. Although they hadn't run far, he was feeling exhausted already and his breathing patterns were not unison.

It was like a nightmare of the war. All of the unfortunate were knocked down, fell to the ground nearly as one with the debris—man atop woman, atop grandfather, atop child.

It was an awful sight, wrenching his heart in most profound pain.

Wailing and sobbing that bubbled up all around him. Looking around, he saw a carpet of bodies. A young girl screamed to the heavens as she reached for her trampled mother. An old man tried to get up, stumbled, and fell again. Turning and looking back, he saw many people now fleeing, running for their lives.

Waves of power emerged behind his eyeballs, all of the sudden. He felt like the world was dyed crimson for a moment, but the sensation quickly subsided.

"Itachi?" His mom called, noticing the amiss about her son's actions.

"I'm all right, kā-san." He dismissed right away and focus his attention on what was in front.

As they escaped from the massive violence of Nine Tails, from the bottom of his heart, he prayed for the strength to stop this dissonance.

Despite this havoc, his goal never burned out. Instead, it blazed up even more. He wanted to be a strong ninja, so strong that he could bring peace.

Not too long when they arrived at the shelters. A sense of relief rendered his face. They had arrived here safe, everything should be all right now.

Then, suddenly, everything became oddly quiet. For the briefest of moments, there was nothing.

The Nine Tails disappeared as well.

That marked the on-going chaotic mess.

Did the Fourth Hokage defeat the beast?

He immediately erased that thought. If he managed to defeat it, his life wouldn't be enough.

It might be a huge breather for all the villagers, but there was still something that worried him.

Akane . . .

He wondered where would she be?

His heart was pounding like a locomotive, and though he knew they were safe in this place, carrying his young sibling in his arms and his mother on his side, he couldn't stop himself from worrying.

Akane should be here as well. But no matter how he wandered his visions in this place, there was no sight of her.

He wanted to see her. And if he caught a glimpse of her hair, or even a piece of her presence, his heart would settle in deep peace.

Out of his wishful thinking, a little prayer escaped his lips.

"I hope you're doing fine . . . Akane."

༺═──────────────═༻

The ferocious attack of the Nine Tails had ended, yet it left the land of Konoha in devastation. The roads became mourning sites and all of the gateways were desolate. Just a night before the dawn, many lost their homes, and a lot of the civilians had their loved ones went ahead of them. The elders groaned, the young ones grieved, everyone was in bitter anguish.

Morning came, and somehow, everything went under control. Itachi, along with his mother, had to reconvene with the head of their family: Fugaku Uchiha.

They were still in the village of Konoha, but they couldn't seem to recognize it well. The road was unkempt, the houses were torn apart, the scent of the deceased had scattered freely in the atmosphere. The civilians in rags, their faces smeared with dirt, straying this way and that hopelessly.

Within a few steps after when rounded the next corner, Fugaku Uchiha appeared.

"Tō-san," Itachi uttered, a gleam of hope infused his face.

Yet, the adult remained expressionless, but exhausted, and the lines on his face were more emphasized now. "I know that you'll be all right."

"Right," he murmured meekly.

"Shall we go?" Fugaku gestured his head, inviting his whole family.

As they walked down a narrow disintegrated lane of the village, Itachi spoke once again.

"Tō-san."

"Yes?" he responded in an even tone.

"Possibly, you . . ." he took a pause, "you know where Akane is."

Itachi was aware that his father was an eminent shinobi, he must have—at least—information about the Fourth Hokage's family.

Fugaku gave him a sidelong gaze. It should be expected. She was Itachi's dear friend. How could he ignore the profound effect of her on him?

Before opening his mouth, Fugaku sighed. "The calamity had passed. It was all thanks to the Fourth and his wife Kushina, for they gave their lives to seal the Nine-Tails and saved the village."

It didn't answer his question, but that was horrible news. Her parents died?

To think that last night would be the ending of their story.

Death truly never prejudiced, never have been kind. It didn't pretend to care, it didn't pretend to distinguish.

Yet, their lives left a significance for all. It blatantly showed how they died, showed how they had lived.

Heroes.

After a deep thought of condolence, Itachi asked, "How about Akane?"

Itachi surveyed his father's face sternly. He was hesitating, and it didn't have to take a Sharingan to figure the reluctance on his mind.

Having known of his son's innate instincts, there was no point in hiding it from him. "Akane Namikaze is sure a clever child," Fugaku started, "and her deduction skills and intuition are indeed beyond her age. Thus, she might have sensed that her parents were in trouble . . . After the Fourth Hokage transported the Nine Tails away, she rushed towards the place where she could see them, but—"

"Are you saying—?" Itachi couldn't continue.

There were a lot of clues or answers between his father's words. There was no way he wouldn't find out immediately.

Itachi gaped upward, his mouth twitched but slightly open and loose. His eyes were fixed as if he was looking at something behind Fugaku's head.

The adolescent only closed his eyes and nodded once. Comfortingly patting his son's head, he declared something that echoed inside Itachi's head.

"The girl died, Itachi, along with her parents."

It was as if a sword was shoved down to the mouth, to his throat, and to his heart. The words that came out were thick on his mouth, on his throat, and his heart. He almost didn't want to breathe, nor his heart did succumb to aches.

༺═──────────────═༻

Before Itachi could notice, the autumn and the winter had gone . . . spring had begun.

From the universe: a soft light at the first light of the dawn.

It was dreamy sunlight, so kind and warming, so much more than the unkind and cold world deserved.

He, wandering through the morning fog of a graveyard. The air was cool, and there were dews in the grass. The world was still and silent and calm, the scent of the night was pungent.

It might be a melancholic place, but Itachi had started noticing things.

The direction of the rays of sunshine; the sway of a leaf in a mild breeze; the simple beauty of the flowers; the sun on his face; and the in-progress liveliness of the village.

Always and always. Those were the thing he noticed, and he started living for it, eventually.

Still, the bad news was still crippling him.

At first, the pain was a mere tendril of shadows that grazed against his heart, where his dreary pains cowered like the ancient ruins. Then, as time walked by, the afflicting memories with her had settled in the depths of his heart. It was supposed to be just a shadow, and yet, with everything he remembered, it caused him to create a void that evoked his longings for his cherished friend.

There were no days that Itachi didn't miss her.

She, Akane.

He stood in front of her gravestone, and on his hand, there was a single flower: higanbana.

Offering it to her, Itachi sat down.

"You left unannounced, Akane," he whispered through the thin air. "So unfair."

The place was strangely peaceful and relaxing. Only if he got one more chance, he would like to walk with her for the last time.

"The ways of this life are sure unpredictable, don't you think?" He continued his monologue, thoughtlessly staring at the sky was becoming brighter and brighter. "Nobody could portray the 'right' way to approach death. Worst, there's no difference to life and death, it is always what it is—never changing . . ."

He wondered, what would Akane say after hearing him? He was sure that she would say something more meaningful, for she had her ways of seeing things. And Itachi always admired her comprehensions and beautiful mind.

That was one of the things he missed.

It was interesting that even after life's final light dies, all that remained was his memories of her.

▬

do u guys went like this

clinging desperately
over the death of your
fave characters

im thinking as well . . .
that this chapter alone
is a good ending for this story

(灬º‿º灬)♡

dont u think?

handtheirend

🥀